Mass Communication
Mass communication is the study of how individuals and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time. It is usually understood to relate to newspaper, magazine, and book publishing, as well as radio, television and film, as these media are used for disseminating information, news and advertising. The study of mass communication is chiefly concerned with how the content of mass communication persuades or otherwise affects the behavior, attitude, opinion, or emotion of the person or people receiving the information.
Field of study
Mass communication is “the process by which a person, group of people, or large organization creates a message and transmits it through some type of medium to a large, anonymous, heterogenous audience.” Mass communication is regularly associated with media influence or media effects, and media studies. Mass communication is a branch of social science that falls under the larger umbrella of communication studies or communication.
The history of communication stretches from prehistoric forms of art and writing through modern communication methods such as the internet. Mass communication began when humans could transmit messages from a single source to multiple receivers.
The study of mass communication is often associated with the practical applications of journalism (print media), television and radio broadcasting, film, public relations, or advertising. With the diversification of media options, the study of communication has extended to include social media and new media, which have stronger feedback models than traditional media sources.
Major theories
Communication theory addresses the processes and mechanisms that allow communication to take place. Mass communication has moved from theories such as the hypodermic needle model (or magic bullet theory) through more modern theories such as computer-mediated communication. Nowadays, Communication researchers have identified several major theories associated with the study of mass communication. Cultivation theory discusses the long-term effects of watching television. Agenda setting theory centers around the idea that media outlets tell the public “not what to think, but what to think about.” The spiral of silence hypothesizes that mass media have the power to shape people’s opinions, as well as relay the opinion that is believed to be the majority opinion. Media ecology hypothesizes that individuals are shaped by their interaction with media, and that communication and media profoundly affect how individuals view and interact with their environment. Semiotic theory thinks communication characteristics such as words, images, gestures, and situations are always interpretive.
Methods of study
Communication researchers study communication through various methods that have been verified through repetitive, cumulative processes. Both quantitative and qualitative methods have been used in the study of mass communication. Several prominent methods of study are as follows:(https://www.daowen.com)
Studying cause and effect relationships in communication can only be done through an experiment. This quantitative method regularly involves exposing participants to various media content and recording their reactions.
Survey, another quantitative method, involves asking individuals to respond to a set of questions in order to generalize their responses to a larger population.
Content analysis (sometimes known as textual analysis) refers to the process of identifying categorial properties of a piece of communication, such as a newspaper article, book, television program, film, or broadcast news script. This process allows researchers to see what the content of communication looks like.
Words & Expressions
heterogenous：特性不一的、异质的
prehistoric：史前的；有文字记载以前的、远古的
hypodermic needle model：皮下注射模式
semiotics：符号学
quantitative：定量的；数量（上）的
qualitative；定性的；性质（上）的
[1] What is communication[EB/OL].(2013-03-28)[2022-01-18].https://d1n7iqsz6ob2ad.cloudfront.net/document/pdf/53bd0dd93a1bf.pdf.
[2] Forms of communication[EB/OL].(2014-07-12)[2022-01-23].https://www.communicationtheory.org/forms-of-communication.
[3] Mass communication[EB/OL].(2013-09-06)[2022-01-25].https://www.mass-communication.in/hello-world-2.